Note: This adapter is designed to be used with standard pin boxes only. Do not use with a cushioned or air ride pin box.

V-19 Certified for safety and featuring exceptional strength and versatility, this universal adapter converts a fifth-wheel king pin to a gooseneck coupler. This allows you to tow your fifth-wheel trailer without a bulky fifth-wheel hitch. The Ranch Hitch from Andersen Manufacturing is easy to install, even for the inexperienced do-it-yourselfer.

Measuring Your Truck and Trailer for the Ranch Hitch Coupler Adapter

You can perform these steps to determine if the adapter will work for your fifth-wheel trailer.

Back your truck into position as if you were hooking up your fifth-wheel trailer, making sure that the truck and trailer are level.

Measure from the pin plate (the bottom of the pin box) down to the top of the ball in the bed of your truck.

The measurement should fall between 11-3/4" and 14-3/4". (The adapter is 11-3/4" tall when fully compressed and 14-3/4" tall when fully extended.)

Additional Measurements

Five or six inches of clearance between the overhang of the trailer and siderails of your truck is necessary for safe operation.

Measuring for Pin Box Length

The Ranch Hitch adapter is designed for trailers with a standard or extended pin box up to 24" long (measured diagonally). To find this dimension, you should measure from the centerline of the bottom of the king pin into the back of the pin box as far as you can reach. You may not be able to reach the very back of the pin box itself because the top of it may extend into the trailer. In this case measure to where the pin box disappears into the trailer.

Today we'll be reviewing part number AM3100. This is the Rapid Hitch Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter. The heavy duty adapter is going to convert your 5th wheel trailer kingpin to a gooseneck coupler. It's going to conveniently allow the 5th wheel camping trailer to be towed with a gooseneck hitch. It's going to feature the remote coupler release that's going to let you engage and release the coupler while standing alongside your truck bed. It really eliminates the need of being able to climb in and out of the truck bed.

It makes it a little bit easier. It's got a couple of mount holes on it so you can secure it in whatever position it's going to best suit your application. This is a do-it-yourself installation so it should take about one hour or less. It's going to have a three inch vertical adjustment that's going to allow towing with multiple vehicles. You can see this portion here slides up and down. It's also got indicator lines 00:00:53 on this portion here that's going to allow you to know which setting is correct and to make sure you have this set in the right position. It's go two set screws here, two set screw threaded holes for the set screws to be installed that way you can keep it at the adjusted height that you need.

This is designed to work with standard two and five-sixteenth inch diameter gooseneck hitch balls. It's V-19 certified. The measurement from the bottom of the kingpin plate to the top of the hitch ball when the trailer and the truck are level would measure three or eleven and three-quarters of an inch and that's when the adapter is collapsed. It will also extend to fourteen and three-quarters of an inch and that would be when the adapter is all the way extended up. The top of the hitch ball is going to sit about this point here so it's not all the way to the bottom, just to the top of that hitch ball. The required clearance between the overhang of the trailer and the top of the side rails of your truck for safe operations, that's going to be about five or six inches.

The trailer width standard or extended pin boxes, the extended pin box can be no longer than twenty-four inches and you need to do that measurement diagonally. This is going to offer a capacity of twenty-four thousand pounds of gross towing weight with six thousand pounds of tongue weight. Again, it's going to feature that vertical adjustment of three inches. The hardware that you need for the install is included. You've got the collar to go around the kingpin. You've got all the lock washers, the screws, the set screws, the bolts, the nuts, everything that you need for your installation is going to be provided. If you need an optional slide hammer to make your installation a little bit easier that is going to be sold separately with part number AM3103.

Then also the safety chains are going to be sold separately. You can find those at etrailer.com with part number AM3109. When it comes to measuring your truck and trailer for the Ranch Hitch Coupler Adapter, a couple of steps that you can do to determine if the adapter will work for your 5th wheel trailer. You can back your truck into position as if you we're hooking up your 5th wheel trailer making sure that the truck and the trailer are level. Then you can measure from the pin plate which would be the bottom of the pin box down to the top of the ball in the bed of your truck. The measurement should be between eleven and three-quarters of an inch and fourteen and three-quarters of an inch. The adapter itself is eleven and three-quarter inches tall when fully compressed and fourteen and three quarters of an inch tall when fully extended. If you can set, if you can get it to fall in between those two measurements then this would be a good application for you. That's going to do it for our review of part number AM3100. This is the Rapid Hitch Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter. .

Product shipped/arrived timely from eTrailer; installation instructions provided by Anderson Manuf are very clear/easy to follow. Hitch is very easy to install. Attached to 30' fifth wheel, 11,000lbs tow weight and immediately pulled the trailer thru steep hill country without any hesitation. Pulling cattle trailers/heavy hay trailers, i know heavy duty hitches when i see them and this is a great product; HIGHLY recommended. Remote latching mechanism is a great feature; it too is very solid/secure
11335

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- AM3100

by: Jason M.07/22/2013

Seems to be a very well built product. Good price and shipped fast. Fairly simple to install, I recommend having a friend or two around to help tighten everything down. Also I preferred to bolt rather than weld ( unless you have a closed off pin box), you never know when you may need to go back to fifth wheel in a hurry.
90774

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Comments

How does collar system attach to king pin ? Thanks

comment by: L T - 11/19/2013

2325

There is a threaded collar that is fitted to the king pin. You would slide the coller up on the king pin. While holding the collar, you will take a split collet and fit that where the jaws normally grab the king pin. You will slide the threaded collar over the split collet and using either a pulley puller or Andersens hammer to seat the collar fully onto the split collet. I have added a pictorial of this portion of the instructions to the photo gallery and linked it here as well. The base of the adapter threads onto the collar and is tightened to ~1200 ft. lbs. The process for getting that much torque is outlined in the instructions and uses the included spanner wrench and a 4 foot cheater pipe. Finally, you will use either the inlcuded four Grade 8 bolts or four 1 inch tack welds to finish securing the adapter to the pin box. If you want to be able to remove adapter, make sure you can access the inside of the pin box so you can use the bolts vs. welds.

I recieved your shipment in seven days (FREE)
was able to install it myself in about 2 hours
with help to lift the 5th wheel down to floor level
to drill six holes mounted the spacers as per
instructions printed out. put the goose neck back
in place and the (easy) job was done !
78770

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- AM3100

by: Garry S.01/08/2014

I have pulled my camping trailer approx. 300 hundred miles since I installed the adapter. It works great. Installation was pretty simple, the only difficult part was drilling the four holes thru my fifth wheel box. E-trailer service and shipping were great!
112247

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Comments

I have an Ultra-Fab trailair air ride kingpin system on my fifth wheel. Can the gooseneck adapter be installed on that type of system?

comment by: Deriek E - 08/14/2013

1904

According to Ultra-Fab, the Trailair pin boxes are not to be used with any kind of gooseneck adapter where the pin box is adapted to attach to a gooseneck ball. You can however adapt the truck to accept a 5th wheel hitch. Your best bet would be a fifth wheel hitch that anchors into a gooseneck like the Draw-Tite Hi-Rise, part 9480 or a Curt Fifth Wheel Adapter plate like C16210 or 16310.

Patrick B - 8/19/2013

- AM3100

by: Mark02/13/2013

Installed in about ten minutes, ( I used a bearing puller to seat the bushings ) five minutes to tack weld it into place and done. Pulls better than a fifth wheel hitch IMO. Seems to be made very well. Took two days for deliver. Very satisfied
66241

Yes, there are fifth-wheel to gooseneck adapters and we do carry them.
Gooseneck hitches are typically used to haul construction or agricultural trailers and fifth-wheel hitches are mainly used to haul campers. Gooseneck hitches are usually rated to haul 25,000 to 30,000 pounds, some fifth-wheel hitches are capable of doing the same, but other fifth-wheel hitches are rated lower. When towing, your towing setup is only as strong as the weakest towing component, whether it is your hitch,...view full answer...

A good rule to follow is to allow 6 inches or more of clearance between the sides of the bed and the bottom of the 5th wheel trailer to allow for dips and bumps in the road. To find the right 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter for your truck and trailer, there is a simple measurement you can take.
First, back your truck into position as if you were hooking up your fifth-wheel trailer. Make sure that the truck and trailer are level. Next, measure from the pin plate (the bottom of the pin...view full answer...

Some trailer manufacturers will void a warranty if an adapter is used. This is the biggest con if trying to determine pros and cons. You will need to contact the trailer manufacturer to determine if the trailer warranty will be voided if an adapter is used.
If the trailer has a Lippert chassis then I recommend using a Goose Box adapter because when used with a Lippert chassis and pin box, it will not void the warranty. There are 2 Goose Box units available. First is # RP94622. It is...view full answer...

The best way to proceed will depend on if there is already a fifth wheel or gooseneck hitch installed on your truck.
If you already have a gooseneck hitch installed, we offer several different adapters that will allow you to tow a fifth wheel using a gooseneck ball. The Rapid Hitch Ranch Hitch adapter, part # AM3100 is one of our best sellers, but keep in mind that using the adapters can void some fifth wheel warranties because of the extra stress they can place on the frame of the fifth...view full answer...

The adapter will bolt attach to any standard Fifth Wheel king pin, but you will need to take some measurements to be sure it will fit. After backing the vehicle under the trailer, measure from the top of the ball on the truck to the base of the pin box on the trailer. The adapter we carry is adjustable between 12 and 16 inches.
Please note, that these adapters are not to be used in trucks with less than a 6 foot bed. Also note that these adapters are not meant to be used permanently....view full answer...

The Convert-A-Ball Multi-Cushioned 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapters are going to be your best choice if they will work with the recessed gooseneck hitch on your Hillsboro flat bed.
I took some measurements and found that the coupler is overall 7 inches wide at the base where it sets on the hitch ball. From the front of the housing where the handle is located to the center of the hitch ball the measurement is 5 inches and then 2 inches to the back side of the coupler from the center...view full answer...

You will need to do some measuring to determine if you will need an adapter with offset or not, or if you will even be able to tow a 5th wheel trailer with your gooseneck hitch.
Here is how to determine if an offset would be required. First, measure from the center of the hitch in the bed of the truck, and add any amount of extension from the front of the trailer to the center of the king pin on your fifth-wheel trailer. If the king pin is recessed under the front of the trailer subtract...view full answer...

You are correct, the Ranch Hitch, # 3100, adapter base does thread onto a collar system, see drawing, comprised of a collar and 2 wedges that fit around and into the recessed portion of the trailers king pin.
When the adapter is tightened onto the collars system on the king pin the connection is very solid and hard to break.
Once the bolts are removed from the trailer pin box, you will need the Spanner Wrench for Ranch Hitch Coupler Adapters, # AM3104, and a 4 foot cheater pipe, along...view full answer...

The recommended clearance from the rear corner of your truck bed to your fifth wheel trailer when in a turn is 4 inches. If you have a 9ft or 10ft long flat bed, then you may not have the full 4 inches that is recommended.
If you already have a fifth wheel hitch or gooseneck hitch installed on your truck, then you will want to measure from the center of the fifth wheel hitch jaw or the center of the hitch ball in the gooseneck hitch to the rear corner of your truck bed.
Next, measure...view full answer...

You will need to measure to determine how long the fifth-wheel to gooseneck adapter will need to be.
Park your fifth-wheel trailer on a fairly level surface. Back your vehicle under the fifth-wheel trailer stopping when the center of the king pin is directly above the gooseneck hitch ball, measure from the top of the gooseneck ball on the truck to the base of the pin box on the trailer. This will give you the measurement needed to select an adapter.
The adapters we offer range between...view full answer...

We offer several different adapters that would allow you to pull a fifth wheel trailer with a truck that is equipped with a gooseneck hitch. As I do not have any information about your truck, I will run through the various alternatives that might work for you.
If you have not already installed the gooseneck hitch, you will be better off using a fifth wheel hitch installed on rails in your truck bed, and using a gooseneck adapter like part # 49080 that would install on the fifth wheel...view full answer...

There are several different types of adapters offered that will allow a gooseneck-equipped truck to pull a 5th wheel trailer such as your 16,250-lb GVWR Heartland Key Largo. These vary in their cost, level of safety, ride quality and the amount of stress they will place on the trailer frame.
The linked article provides detailed information about the pros and cons of each type. Your best option may come down to how often you will tow your 5th wheel with your goose neck hitch.
Please...view full answer...

A good rule to follow is to allow 6 inches or more of clearance between the sides of the bed and the bottom of the gooseneck trailer to allow for dips and bumps in the road.
You will want to check your gooseneck coupler to see if it has an adjustable tube with set screws that will allow you to adjust the height of the coupler for extra clearance when attached to your vehicle. If it does then you can loosen the set screws and adjust the length of the tube to get more clearance.
If...view full answer...

To determine if an offset 5th wheel to gooseneck adapter is required for your 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty with the 6-3/4 foot short bed, you will need to do a little measuring.
Use the formula below to ensure there will be enough space between your truck cab and trailer when executing a 90-degree turn.
(A + B) - C = Clearance
A = Distance from center of gooseneck ball to truck cab
B = Length of Offset, 8 inches for the longest we have available (Use Zero for no offset)
C = Width...view full answer...

To determine the best 5th wheel trailer to gooseneck hitch adapter you will need, there are some measurements you can take in addition to knowing the pin weight and gross trailer weight of the trailer, loaded and ready to tow.
First, back your truck into position as if you were hooking up your fifth-wheel trailer, making sure that the truck and trailer are level. Then, measure from the pin plate (the bottom of the pin box) down to the top of the ball in the bed of your truck. This distance...view full answer...

The Anderson Fifth-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter, part # AM3100, installs in about an hour on standard fixed 5th wheel pin boxes to adapt them for towing with a gooseneck hitch. Anderson does not recommend it for use with a cushioned pin box.
This adapter fits a standard 2-5/16-inch gooseneck ball and is rated for up to 24,000 lbs GVWR and up to 6,000 lbs tongue weight. It provide a vertical adjustment range of 3 inches (from 11-3/4-inches to 14-3/4 inches height) and is fitted...view full answer...

There are actually two possible options for you. Depending on which gooseneck hitch you have, you may be able to use a gooseneck hitch to 5th wheel trailer adapter.
Take a look at the Hi-Rise Gooseneck-to-5th-Wheel Trailer Hitch Adapter, # 9480. This hitch will fit in a Hide-A-Goose hitch by Draw-Tite or Reese. With this option, you will not need to make modifications to the trailer and the 5th wheel hitch can be removed when you need to tow a gooseneck trailer.
The Hi-Rise is made...view full answer...

At the absolute most narrow point the adapter is about 9-1/2 inches in circumference and about 3-1/2 inches in diameter.
The overall height at 16 inches is actually about 17-1/2 inches from the bottom of the adapter to the top where it attaches to the trailer.
To find the correct height you will need, first park the truck and trailer on level ground. Make sure you have 4 inches of clearance between the top of the bed sides and the bottom of the trailer loft for pitch and roll. Then,...view full answer...

With a lifted truck, it will be a tight fit, but I may have a couple of options for you. First, take a look at the Hi-Rise Gooseneck-to-5th-Wheel Trailer Hitch Adapter, # 9480. This will fit a B and W Turnover style gooseneck hitch. The hitch height is adjustable from 14-1/4 inches to 18 inches.
You will need to measure from the bottom of the pin box (not the king pin) to the top of the bed to determine if this height is too much or not enough.
Another option is a 5th wheel to gooseneck...view full answer...

The Fifth Wheel to Gooseneck Cushioned Adapter, item # CAB-C5GX1216, will now handle up to 4,000 pounds tongue weight.
If you need an adapter with more tongue weight capacity then the Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter, item # AM3100, would be a good choice. This is a semi permanent installation and the capacity is up to 6,000 pounds tongue weight.
Due to the weight you have, you may want to invest in a fifth wheel hitch. If you want to reply with the year,...view full answer...

The Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter, # AM3100, attaches to the trailer king pin with a collar system. This system contains a threaded collar and to split collar halves. The threaded collar is installed around the king pin with the X on the bottom of the collar down. The split halves are then assembled around the king pin with the X on the bottom of the halves down and the split collar is pulled down around the split halves. Anti seize lubricant, item # LT37616,...view full answer...

You will need to check with your local laws on what is required with your setup. But typically if the vehicle has a gooseneck hitch safety chains will be required.
For a safety chain setup to go along with the Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter # AM3100 that you referenced you would want the Safety Chains for Ranch Hitch 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter # AM3109.
If you have a gooseneck hitch in your truck bed there should be a safety chain provision...view full answer...

Usually on a Ford F-250 long bed (8 foot) truck an offset gooseneck adapter is not necessary, but you can measure to see if you would need one.
To determine the clearance needed on your F-250 long bed, you need to take the width of your trailer and divide by two. Then measure from the gooseneck hitch ball in the truck to the back of the truck cab. That dimension should be 4 inches more than your first measurement for correct clearance.
For example, if your trailer measures 96 inches...view full answer...

The Fifth Wheel to Gooseneck Hitch Adapter, part # AM3100, is very easy to install and use. The base of the adapter will clamp down on the gooseneck ball in your truck bed just like a regular gooseneck coupler. You will insert the fifth wheel trailer king pin into the top of the adapter, and then bolt it to the base of the kingpin using provided mounting hardware and existing bolt holes.
This is a very safe product, it has a Gross Weight Capacity of 24,000 pounds and 6,000 pounds Tongue...view full answer...

The maximum height of the Ranch Hitch Universal 5th-Wheel-to-Gooseneck Coupler Adapter, item # AM3100, is 14-3/4 inches when fully extended.
Towing a 5,500 pound fifth-wheel trailer with a 1/2 ton pickup is possible as long as the GCVWR (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating) of the vehicle is equal to or more than the weight of the vehicle and the trailer. You will need to take into account the load in the trailer as well as the trailer weight.
To set the hitch height you will need...view full answer...

The attachment point between the fifth wheel king pin and the Ranch Hitch adapter is very tight. Threaded collars attach to the king pin, then the black adapter base threads onto the collars. The upper flange on the black adapter will actually bolt to the underside of the fifth wheel pin box. There will be no movement there.
Any movement or chucking will be experienced at the point where the adapter attaches to the gooseneck ball. The chucking would be about what you would experience...view full answer...

There are a few different options for towing a 5th wheel trailer with a gooseneck trailer hitch. The best solution and most secure that will also offer you the best ride is a Goose Box. The Goose Box fits in place of the trailer pin box and has attaches to a gooseneck ball in the truck.
In order to use the Goose Box you will need to have a specific trailer pin box. If the pin box is a Lippert 0719, 1621, 1621HD, or Fabex PB-600 series you can use Goose Box # RP94622.
If the pin...view full answer...

Generally speaking, you would most likely need more than 36 inches of clearance from the center of your axle to the cab of your vehicle, or in your case the welding machine that is in the back of your truck.
There are many factors you should consider. First thing, how tall is your welder? How wide is it? If it is shorter than the overhang of your trailer it may not be an issue. Also, If the welder is pretty narrow and your trailer has a tapered nose it may also work.
In order to...view full answer...

Trailer bouncing and rough rides are common complaints among customers that are towing their fifth wheel trailer with a gooseneck hitch and a gooseneck adapter like part # AM3100. Gooseneck adapters create extra distance between the king pin and trailer hitch and this extra distance creates torque on the trailer frame which creates the chucking and bouncing that you are referring to.
Fifth-Wheel-to-Gooseneck coupler adapters are a good solution if you tow a gooseneck trailer and a fifth...view full answer...

For starters, keep in mind that for the best ride quality, ideally you would want to tow a fifth wheel trailer using a fifth wheel hitch. Sacrificing some ride quality is usually the nature of the beast when using a fifth wheel to gooseneck adapter.
Having said this, there are some things you will want to check. If you are using the offset adapter like part # CAB-C5GX1216, you will need to make sure that the flange on the top of the adapter is bolted to the bottom of the pin box. Make...view full answer...

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